


Meeting Your Hero

by orphan_account



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Gen, Miracle Mask Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 03:36:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19243021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Randall feels rather empty after the whole Masked Gentleman incident. He feels like everyone hates him and he wishes he could just stay inside the Ledore mansion forever with his two favourite people. However, there is one person who is ecstatic to meet him.





	Meeting Your Hero

Randall was still getting used to the fact that he was no longer the Masked Gentleman and he was now Randall Ascot. He spent 18 years not knowing who he truly was and in recent months, he had been thinking that he was a villain. It had really taken a toll on him emotionally and it took all of Henry’s and Angela’s efforts to lift his spirits and to get him back to being enthusiastic and passionate Randall again.

The three of them had finally ventured out of their mansion into the bustling city of Monte d’Or. Randall hadn’t left the house in weeks as he had been too ashamed of what he had done. People stared, of course, but Henry made sure to steer Randall away from their glares and gave them a cold look of his own.

As the city of Monte d’Or was largely populated by tourists, the majority of them hadn’t witnessed the antics of the Masked Gentleman. However, the news of such a man had covered a long distance and people flocked to get a glimpse of him. Also for sightseeing and visiting Tingly Town, of course. The media had always been good at exaggerating the truth. They painted Randall to be evil and chaotic. They even claimed that he was a killer which he clearly wasn’t. The “final act”, as the Masked Gentleman had called it, had been quite dangerous but no one had gotten hurt. Randall hoped against hope that the newspapers would forget about him soon and focus on another villain to rip apart. Perhaps it was Descole’s turn next?

There was one person, however, who either didn’t read the news or didn’t believe it one bit.

“Oh my gosh! It’s you!”

Randall, Henry and Angela turned around to see a tall, skinny woman racing towards them. Henry and Angela instinctively took a step in front of Randall who was too shocked for words. Who was this woman?

“Oh, I’m such a big fan! Your miracles were fantabulous! Are you going to perform again some time? I came here again hoping to see you and you wouldn’t believe how happy I am that I saw you!” 

The woman was rambling on while Randall wished he could sink through the floor. She was a fan of his miracles. The miracles that he tried so hard to forget. He wished everyone else would forget about them too but, apparently, there is no such luck.

“Excuse me but who are you?” Angela asked, cutting the woman off mid-sentence. In any other situation, she would feel rude for doing so but if any of them were going to get a word in edgeways, it had to be done.

“Oh, sorry. I’m Serena. I was here a few months ago when the Masked Gentleman was performing! He was so amazing! And I got to see him unmasked too! Oh, I just adore him so much!”

Randall felt heat creeping up his neck. Why did this woman idolise him so much? All he had done was terrorise the town with his tricks. It was all for revenge and the person he hated had built this whole town for him. She should be hating him for what he did. Tears started trickling down his face and he started to run.

He knew he shouldn’t have come outside. He knew something like this would happen. He could hear someone running after him. It was probably Henry but he didn’t slow down. He couldn’t let anyone see him like this. Everyone hated him and they would just think he was trying to get people’s sympathy.

“Hey! Wait! You can’t leave yet! You haven’t even told me your name!”

Randall stopped in his tracks, stumbling over his feet. That voice…

“What is it, Serena?” He didn’t want to be talking to her. He didn’t want anyone fawning over him. He didn’t deserve it.

“Oh no, are you crying? Is it something I said?”

Randall shook his head. It seemed he was good at telling white lies. “No, it’s just- all these people…”

Serena nodded. “I understand. Crowds can be scary but also really exciting! Like when you lit those people on fire! The air was electric! It was magical!”

He really didn’t understand why she loved them so much. She saw it as one big show and she didn’t understand the hurt that caused him to perform them. “I didn’t really light them on fire. I-”

“What?! But how did you do it?”

Randall pulled at his collar and looked around for Henry and Angela. He could see them standing a few metres away, talking to each other. He wondered what they were saying. He turned back to Serena who was looking expectantly at him. She really wanted an answer.

“The letters I sent out to those people came with a second letter, telling them to stay home. I gave them rewards for staying put. In their place, I put mannequins on the stage that would catch on fire. I also stole their clothes from the gym the night before so it would be more convincing.”

Serena hung onto every word and when he was done, she clapped her hands excitedly. “Wow! That’s so clever! I would never have thought of that!”

Randall chuckled, nervously. “Uh, thanks.”

“What’s your name, by the way? I mean, you’re not actually called the Masked Gentleman, right?”

“No. I’m, uh-” Randall thought whether it would be a good idea to tell her his real name but then decided quickly to do so. What was the harm in it anyway? “Randall Ascot. It’s nice to meet you.”

“What a wonderful name! I wish I could have a name as wonderful as yours.”

“Well, I happen to think Serena is quite a pretty name.” 

He didn’t quite know what had gotten into him. He should’ve just kept running. Why was he continuing to speak to her? Perhaps it was nice to speak to someone new for a change. He loved Henry and Angela to pieces but with only the two of them to talk to, it became a bit predictable, to say it nicely.

Serena giggled loudly. “Thank you so much, Mr Ascot! It’s brilliant to hear you say that. It really is.”

Randall found himself smiling. He wouldn’t have believed that a day outside could have made him smile like that.

“Anyway, I have to go. I’m meeting a friend for lunch at this restaurant that looks absolutely scrumptious! So, I’ll see you soon!”

“Alright. See you around, Serene.”

She waved enthusiastically and sprinted down Carnival Arcade, almost bumping into a handful of people on the way there. Randall chuckled. At least she had a positive outlook on life. He used to be like that until the “accident”. He hoped to be like that once again. Maybe, Serena had helped him along the way as he smiled for the first time in months.


End file.
